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Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2025-02-24

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill requires parents or guardians to give written permission before child autopsy records, photos, videos, or audio recordings can be shared. It creates an exception allowing disclosure without consent when necessary for public health, safety, legal compliance, or research, and allows courts to override parental wishes if they find good cause after reviewing the materials in private.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this protects grieving families' privacy and dignity by preventing sensitive autopsy materials of children from being publicly disclosed or disseminated without permission.
• •They contend parents should have control over intimate details of their child's death, and the bill includes safeguards allowing courts to order disclosure when genuinely necessary for public safety, criminal prosecution, or government accountability.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue this limits transparency and public access to government records, potentially hindering media investigation, public accountability, or research that could improve child safety.
• •They could also contend that the court override process may be cumbersome for legitimate requesters, and that restricting autopsy information in child death cases could obstruct efforts to identify patterns of abuse or negligence.